Differences between Psychopaths and Sociopaths Explored
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and psychopathy are two complex mental health conditions that often involve behavioural and emotional problems. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between the two, particularly in the area of conscience development.
ASPD is a mental health condition that primarily manifests in observable behaviours such as repeated rule-breaking, aggression, or criminal acts. People with ASPD often have a low sense of morals and conscience, experiencing difficulty with empathy and emotions such as guilt or remorse. However, these difficulties may be variable depending on the situation [1].
On the other hand, psychopathy, which partly overlaps with ASPD but focuses more on inner emotional and personality traits, shows more profound and consistent deficits in conscience development. Psychopaths exhibit zero or extremely low empathy, superficial charm, and profound emotional shallowness. Their conscience is essentially underdeveloped or impaired due to brain abnormalities, especially in the amygala and orbitofrontal cortex, which are crucial for emotional learning, empathy, and associating actions with consequences [2][4].
In summary, while both show deficits in conscience development, psychopathy involves a deeper, more intrinsic impairment linked to brain dysfunction, resulting in an almost complete lack of conscience capacity, whereas ASPD involves more behavioural manifestations with some residual or context-dependent emotional awareness [1][2][4].
Both ASPD and psychopathy can be challenging to treat, and doctors may focus on managing symptoms rather than the disorders themselves. Treatment options for ASPD include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mentalization-based therapy (MBT), and medications such as mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [5].
Research has shown that both ASPD and psychopathy can occur due to a combination of genetics and a person's environment. Traumatic childhood experiences, such as neglect or child abuse, can play a role in developing ASPD. Traumatic brain injury and damage to the prefrontal cortex in childhood can contribute to the development of psychopathic traits [6][7].
It is important to note that not everyone with ASPD or psychopathy will exhibit all the symptoms, and the severity of symptoms can vary. If a person thinks that they or a child in their care may have ASPD or psychopathy, they should speak with a doctor or mental health professional. A healthcare professional can only diagnose ASPD in individuals over the age of 18 years [5].
Myth 1: People with psychopathy are always violent, but this is not always the case. Some people with psychopathy are able to inhibit violent tendencies, leading to greater success in life.
Myth 2: Prisons are full of psychopaths, but estimates suggest that only about 20% of people in prison in North America have psychopathic traits [8].
People with ASPD do not necessarily require the admiration and envy of other people. They can be tough-minded, superficial, exploitative, and unempathetic [1]. Those with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), on the other hand, have a need for admiration, a sense of entitlement, an inflated sense of self-importance, and a lack of empathy. However, they are not necessarily impulsive, aggressive, or deceitful like those with ASPD [9].
In the U.K., a person with ASPD may be able to take part in a Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC), which is a type of social therapy that focuses on community issues and allows everyone involved to contribute to decisions [10].
In conclusion, while ASPD and psychopathy share some similarities, they have distinct differences, particularly in the area of conscience development. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment.
References:
[1] Hare, R. D. (2003). Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. Guilford Press.
[2] Blair, R. J. R. (2008). The neuroscience of psychopathy. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 545-556.
[3] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
[4] Lynam, D. R., & Cale, E. K. (2005). Genes and the development of antisocial behavior: A life-course perspective. In R. M. Loeber, D. P. Farrington, & T. Moffitt (Eds.), The development of antisocial behavior (pp. 157-200). Guilford Press.
[5] American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Antisocial Personality Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 179(4), 324-340.
[6] Widom, C. S. (2000). The cycle of violence. In D. H. Barlow (Ed.), Abnormal psychology (4th ed., pp. 413-438). Wiley.
[7] Raine, A., Venables, P. H., & Williams, L. J. (2006). The neurobiology of criminal and antisocial behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(10), 749-761.
[8] Hare, R. D. (2003). Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. Guilford Press.
[9] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
[10] Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS). (2011). A guide to the democratic therapeutic community (DTC) model. Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
- The complexities of ASPD and psychopathy, especially in the context of mental health and wellness, extend to their respective impacts on conscience development, which can differ significantly due to the influence of both genetics and environment.
- Individuals with ASPD or psychopathy may exhibit deficits in empathy, but it's incorrect to stereotype all psychopaths as violent, as some may be capable of inhibiting violent tendencies, demonstrating that these conditions are not solely determinants of aggressive behavior.
